‘Cyrano’ is top show at South Coast Repertory

Tom Titus

South Coast Repertory is celebrating 40 years -- the last 39 of which

have been spent either in Newport Beach (briefly) or Costa Mesa

(since 1968). The first year, 1964, was recorded as a formative

summer in Long Beach, where the scenario for the company’s

long-running enterprise was carefully drawn out.

And 2004 was another eventful year, replete with world-premiere

productions, offering only two shows with which local audiences might

be expected to be familiar. One of these, however, was produced and

performed with -- as its title character would say -- such panache

that it topped the list in this column’s annual assessment.

“Cyrano de Bergerac,” superbly directed by Mark Rucker, was numero

uno among South Coast Repertory’s nine main-stage productions for

2004. Said this column’s review: “‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ is a

monumental achievement for South Coast Repertory ... It may stretch

well over three hours, but this exciting and invigorating production

is well worth the investment of time and attention.”

As impressive as “Cyrano” was, the show was the winner, quite

literally, by a nose. Bill Rauch’s staging of the hilarious throwback

to the 1960s, Alan Bennett’s “Habeas Corpus,” earned the runner-up

slot and stirred memories of the freewheeling comedic style South

Coast Repertory’s young and energetic actors exhibited back in their

salad days -- also the 1960s -- when they were first establishing

their territory. Or, as this column put it, “the funniest show you’ll

see on any local stage this year, or perhaps any year in memory.”

Third position goes to the Alan Ayckbourn comedy “Intimate

Exchanges,” directed by Martin Benson, a return engagement for the

play, its director and two-character cast, but this time they

followed one of the many other paths open to productions of this

“what if?” play. As we said at the time, “These two (Richard Doyle

and Kandis Chappell) are particularly knowledgeable in navigating

through Ayckbourn territory, and their sprightly two-hander is an

absolute treat.”

Fourth on the list came the world premiere of Richard Greenberg’s

“Brooklyn Boy,” a bittersweet comedy focusing on the high price of

literary success. Daniel Sullivan returned to stage this involving

piece, the glow of which was marred only when actress Dana Reeve’s

husband, the courageous actor Christopher Reeve, passed away on the

East Coast during the show’s final weekend.

Finally, William Nicholson’s “The Retreat From Moscow,” also

directed by Benson, assumes the fifth position. This drama of a

marriage in terminal disrepair was culled painfully from the

playwright’s own experience.

Among the performers, two in particular stood head and shoulders

above the rest during 2004. They were Mark Harelik in the demanding

title role of “Cyrano” and Linda Gehringer, so tortured and touching

in “The Retreat From Moscow.”

Other actors making indelible impressions during 2004 at South

Coast Repertory were Adam Arkin in “Brooklyn Boy,” Nicholas Hormann

in “The Retreat From Moscow,” David Kelly in “Lovers and

Executioners,” Richard Doyle in “Intimate Exchanges,” Graeme Malcolm

and Simon Billig in “Safe in Hell” and Hal Landon Jr. in “Habeas

Corpus.”

Actresses whose performances stood out during the year included

Libby West in “Lovers and Executioners,” Alyssa Bresnahan in

“Antigone,” Kandis Chappell in “Intimate Exchanges,” Eliza Pryor

Nagel in “Mr. Marmalade” and Jane Carr in “Habeas Corpus.”

Next Friday, this annual retrospective continues with the

spotlight on local community theater, followed by a look at

performances and productions on the collegiate scene. It all wraps up

on the final day of the year with the 30th anniversary of the

recognition of the Daily Pilot’s annual man and woman of the year in

theater.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.